Protective helmets for use in a variety of different sporting events, as well as a variety of recreational activities, are well known. Helmets used by those engaged in certain sports, such as lacrosse, typically comprise a hard outer shell that surrounds a liner of energy-absorbing material. The hard outer shell of most protective helmets is typically comprised of a relatively rigid plastic material. The outer shell typically covers the protective liner that lies between the outer shell and the wearer's head. When manufactured, helmets are typically assembled by inserting a pre-sized protective liner within a pre-sized outer shell. Although a standard helmet can approximately accommodate most wearers, natural variation in head sizes and head dimensions can cause the same helmet to fit differently on different wearers. This is particularly true, for example, of youth wearers. As children and adolescents develop at different rates, head size and head dimensions vary widely among youths of the same age group. Accordingly, a standard helmet size may approximately accommodate some youths better than others.
One of the primary purposes of a helmet is to reduce the risk of injury to the wearer's head from forces directed to the head. In order to enhance the performance of a protective helmet, the helmet should conform securely to the wearer's head in all directions. When a helmet is not properly secured and can slip with respect to the wearer's head in the vertical direction, the fore and aft direction, or the side-to-side direction, an increased risk of injury can exist.
Many protective helmets include a chinstrap, which can be restrained around the chin of the wearer to secure the helmet against the top of the head. Although effective in conforming the helmet to the head of the wearer in the vertical direction, a chinstrap does not effectively secure a helmet to the head of the wearer in the fore and aft directions or side-to-side directions. The chinstraps commonly used to secure the helmet in proper position are often difficult to adjust, resulting in the helmet being improperly positioned, thus providing limited protection to the wearer.
Accordingly, a need remains for a protective sport helmet that can be adjusted to conform to the head size and head dimensions of the wearer in the fore and aft direction and the side-to-side direction, as well as in the vertical direction.